Your context's clues

The plot is what drives your story, right? Yes, but sometimes it needs a helping hand. 

Jane Friedman recently shared a reflection on a story’s context — what it is and why your plot might need its help.

Friedman gives the example of the short story “In Another Country,” in which a dramatic revelation becomes even more heightened by the backdrop: a couple’s approaching wedding anniversary.

The original piece, meanwhile, references some more widely known works: A Thousand Acres, whose context is family land, and Ethan Frome, whose context is a harsh winter.

Author Monica Wood explains how these contexts drive and enhance the stories in a short essay from Glimmer Train.